Elevated railway



(No Model.)

T. P. CHANDLER, Jr.

ELEVATED RAILWAY.

1 P t nted Nov.

I. (M WW W Z illrrnn Parana UFMQEQ ELEVATED RAILWAY.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,059, datedNovember 18, 1884.

Application filed January 30, 1884.

To 0.2! whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEOPHILUS P. CHAND- LER, Jr., of the city ofPhiladelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented an Improvement in Elevated Railways, of which the following isa specification.

My invention has reference to elevated railways; and it consists inarranging central supports or pillars with pairs of rails on one or bothsides, and, if desired, one or more pairs arranged above the others, therails forming each pair being secured to said pillars, one above theother, preferably in the same vertical line; further,in combining with arailwaybed, such as above set forth, a car having supporting-wheels andadapted to run upon said rails; further, in providing such a car withcounterbalanced weights, preferably adjustable,whereby the strain uponthe supporting wheels may be transmitted vertically down through thelower rail; further, in combining with said countcrbalan cing-wei'ghtsautomatic mechanism, whereby said counterbalanced weights areautomatically adjusted to counterbalance the car under all conditions ofa varying load; further, in providing a car such as above set forth witha safety device, whereby if from any cause the wheels should leave thelower rail the said car will be supported by said device from the upperrail; further, in a car having a less height than the distance betweensaid upper aud lower rails, whereby the said car is enabled to turncorners or be switched off upon sidings or lines; further, in a carhaving a row of seats upon one side only and one or more doors upon theother side, and in many details of construction, all of which are fullyset forth in the following specification and shownin the accompanyingdrawings, which form part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and economical mode oftravel for cities or suburbs, or for long-distance travel where speed isrequired.

\ By constructing a railway as herein set forth, the rails may be set ina horizontal line at a minimum cost, as the cost of the erection of thesupports would be but trifling compared with the cuts and fills requiredin laying the foundation or bed of a modern rail- (No model.)

way. By using wheels of large diameter I am enabled to attain speedswhich are impracticable with the use of the small wheels now found uponall railway-coaches. By having a singlerail track,(t..e upper rail beingsimply a safeguard,) I am enabled to provide a high-speed railway withthe least possible width of space.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation, taken on line00 m, and shows myimproved elevated railway system. f Fig. 2 is asectional plan,or same view, taken on line 3 9 Fig. 3 is across-sectionof the rail-bed with the cars thereon, showing a number .of pairs ofrails. Fig. 4 is a cross-section showing a modified form ofsupporting-wheels,and also the supporting-wheels passing up through thecar, and the seats arranged on each side of said wheels, and theadjustable weights arranged to counterbalance the varying load carriedby the car and arranged to be shifted to either side of said wheels.

A are the vertical posts or supports, and may be made of iron or woodand any suitable design. B are the main rails, and are secured to saidposts by blocks A or otherwise. These rails B may be formed on the outeredges of iron girders, the ends of which are supported by said posts A.

O is the car, which is preferably made long and narrow, and is providedwith a row of seats, D, preferably on one side only and ad-' jacent tothe rails or supporting-wheels. The opposite side of the car is providedwith doors E, opening out onto the platforms F at the stations. Ifdesired, doors may also be placed at the ends. If desired, thesupporting-wheels may be arranged to pass up through the car, as shownin Fig. 4, in which case two rows of seats may be used in any mannerdesired; but it is preferable to arrange them back to back and on eachside of said supporting-wheels. The car-body should be made as light aspossible consistent with strength, and is secured to the iron framing G,which extends down back of the seats and under the floor. This frame Ghas secured to it the wheel-bearings H, preferably two in number, andarranged comparatively close to each other. Upon these hearings thewheels I revolve said wheels being made preferably of wrought-iron andof a diameter greater than the height of the carbody A, as shown. Theperipheries of said wheels are grooved, as at i, to fit upon the rails BB with a small amount of lateral play necessary in turning sharp curves.Supported upon the outside of said bearings H is a bar, N, to whichweights 0 are secured to counterbalance the weight of the car-body A andits load. By adjusting these weights to or from the wheel a less orgreater leverage is obtained, and hence the counter-balance may beadjusted to suit the varying 'load carried by said car. To reduce thisload to a minimum, the said seats D are arranged as close to thesupporting-wheels as possible. To makethe counterbalance automatic inits action, I support the car-floor J or seats D, or both, upon anysuitable system of levers, as used, for instance, in platform-scales, orallow it to act upon the lever K, provided with a roller, is, which actscompressed and the rod L moved away fromthe car, which in turn increasesthe leverage of the connterbalance-weights O, and automaticallycounterbalances the car, with its increased load. In the case of thewheels I passing up through the center of the car, then thecounterbalance-weight is shifted under the car or seats from one side tothe other of said wheels.

From the foregoing it is seen that when running, the car is in allpractical sense a veloci-- pede, and theoretically will require no othersupport; but when slowing down or turning a curve where centrifugalforcecomes into play, the car would become derailed. Therefore, to guardagainst this, I place above the wheels I another rail, B, which I willcall the guardrail, and this rail should expose an upper as well as alower edge, I), the latter to fit the groove of the wheels I, and theupper to form a support for the guards G to catch onto should one of thewheels I become broken and the car derailed, or to form the baserail forthe next system or railway above, in which case a rail, B is secured tosaid rail B, as shown, over which the guard G runs. These guards G areextensions from the frame G, and extend up over each wheel I. andterminate in a hook, g, and, if desired, may be provided with a roller,9. Under normal circumstances these guards are not in contact with therails B or B", as the case may be. By making the wheels Iot'largerdiameter than the height of the car-body-A, the said wheels maybe placed camparatively close together, and a long car used, as, inturning quick curves, the ends of said car may swing in between therails B B, and which is also necessary when switching off onto sidingsor branch tracks.

In place of wheels of larger diameter than the height of the car,smaller wheels may be upon the bend k oflever K, connected with theused, as shown in Fig. 4; but in any event the car-body must be of lessheight than the dis tance between the rails B and B. 70

By arranging two pairs of rails upon each side of the support A,thelowerpair may be utilized for accommodationtraius, and the upper pairfor eX n'ess-trains,with but a small additional cost. In depots a seriesof platforms may be arranged one above the other, thereby requiring buta small amount of spaee an important feature in city depots. These samesupports A may be used for the telegraphwires in lieu of the poles nowin use.

1 have not shown or described any specific means of locomotion; but itis evident that either a locomotive, cable, or any other means ofpropulsion may be used.

\Vhile I have described specific details of 85 construction I do notlimit myself thereto, as they may be modified in various ways without inanywise departing from lily-invention.

Having now described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A railway consisting in rails arrangedin pairs, one above the other, the top rail of one pair forming thebottom rail of the pair next above, between which the supporting-wheelsof the car run, substantially as and for the purpose specified. I

2. A railway consisting of central posts or supports having two or morepairs of rails located upon each side thereof, the said rails in eachpair being supported one above the other in the same plane, the rails oneach side of the central support being substantially in the samehorizontal line and fully exposed throughout upon their outer sides,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A railway consisting in rails arrangedin pairs, one above the other,between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, in combina tion witha car having supporting-wheels upon one side only, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

4. A railway consisting in rails arranged-in pairs, one above the other,between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, in combination witha car having supporting-wheels up on one side only and acounterbalancing-weight arranged upon the other side of said wheels,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. A railway consisting in rails arranged in pairs, one above the other,between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, in combination witha car having supporting-wheels upon one side only and an adjustablecounterbalan cing-weight arranged upon the other side of said wheels,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. A railway consisting in rails arranged in pairs, one above the other,between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, in combination witha car having supportingwheels upon one side only, and acounterbalancingweight arranged upon the other side of said wheels, andautomatic mechanism to adjust said weight to counterbalance the carunder its varying load, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

7 A railway consisting in rails ar anged in pairs, one above the other,between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, in combination witha car having supporting\vheels upon one side only, and a safety-guard tocatch upon the upper rail should said car become derailed, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

8. A railway consisting in rails arranged in pairs, one above the other,between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, in combination witha car having supporting-wheels upon one side only, and a safety-guard tocatch upon the upper rail should said car become derailed, and acounterba]ancing-weight arranged upon the other side of said wheels, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. A railway consisting in rails arranged in pairs, one above the other,between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, in combination witha car having supporting'wheels upon one side only, asafety-guard tocatch upon the upper rail should said ear become derailed, and anadjustable counterbalancing-weight arranged upon the other side of saidwheels, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. A railway consisting in rails arranged in pairs, one above theother, between which the supporting-wheels oi the car run, incombination with a car having supportingwheels upon one side only, asafety-guard to catch upon the upper rail should said car becomederailed, a counterbalancing-weight arranged upon the other side of saidwheels, and automatic mechanism to adjust said weight to counterbalancethe car under its varying load, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

l1. A railway consisting in rails arranged in pairs, one above theother, between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, incombination with a car having supporting-wheels and seats upon one sideonly, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

12. A railway consisting in rails arranged in pairs, one above theother, between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, incombination with a car having supportingwheels upon one side only, and acounterbalancingweight arranged upon the other side of said wheels, saidwheels being of greater diameter than the height of the car,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

13. A railway consisting in rails arranged in pairs, one above theother, between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, incombination with a car having supporting-wheels upon one side only, anda safety-guard to catch upon the upper rail should said car becomederailed, said wheels being of greater diameter than the height of thecar, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

14. A railway consisting in rails arranged in pairs, one above theother, between which the supportingwvheels of the car run, incombination with a car having supporting-wheels upon one sideonly,acounterbalancingweight arranged upon the other side of saidwheels, and automatic mechanism to adj ust said Weight to counterbalancethe car under its varying load, said mechanism being directly acted uponby the floor or seats of the car, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

15. A railway consisting of supports or posts carrying two or more pairsof rails, the rails of which are arranged one above the other, saidpairs of rails also being arranged on opposite sides of the supports, asset forth, one above the other, the top rail of one pair being integralwith the bottom rail of the next pair above, substantially as and for'the purpose specified.

16. The combination of supports A, rails B B,arranged in pairs,one pairabove the other,

and platforms F,on or about the levels of the lower rails, B, of saidpairs, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

17. The combination of rails B B, wheels I, bearings H, frame G, andcar-body A, substantiall y as and for the purpose specified.

18. A railway consisting in rails arranged in pairs, one above theother, between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, incornbination with a car provided with seats audits supporting-wheels.the stats of said car being arranged against or close to the saidwheels, and counterbalanciug-weights to balance the said car upon itssupporting-wheels, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

19. A railway consisting in rails arranged in pairs, one above theother, between which the supporting-wheels of the car run, incombination with a car provided with seats and its supporting-wheels,the seats of said car being arranged against or close to the saidwheels, and adjustable counterbalancing-weights to balance the said carupon its supportingwheels, substantially as and for the purposespecified. I

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

THEOPHILUS I. CHANDLER, Jlt.

Witnesses R. M. HUNTER, ISAIAH hIATLAOK.

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